A Tale of Two EVERESTS: Doug Liman’s Pic Looks to Cast Benedict Cumberbatch as George Mallory, While Baltasar Kormakur’s Survivor Pic Starts in November

There are currently two Everestpictures in Hollywood that are looking to get off the ground:

Director Doug Liman’sEverest, a period picture that centers on British mountaineer George Mallory and his ill-fated third attempt to conquer the mountain in 1924 at the age of 37. Tom Hardy was previously attached to play Mallory, but plans to start production in March didn’t mesh with Hardy’s schedule. Sony is eyeing Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness) and a number of other actors.

Director Baltasar Kormakur’sEverest, set up at Universal, tells the disastrous tale of a 1996 expedition to climb the title mountain that ended in the death of eight climbers after a storm hit. Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jason Clarke are attached.

Hit the jump for more.

Deadline attempts to sort out the two Everest films. Liman’s aims to make a heroic picture to celebrate British celebrity, Mallory. Cumberbatch is the frontrunner to replace Hardy, but Joel Kinnaman, James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston, Henry Cavill, Luke Evans, Dan Stevens, Matthew Goode, and Jim Sturgess are also in the mix. Those who miss out on playing Mallory will also have a chance at playing his Australian rival, George Finch. Everest’s script was turned in by Sheldon Turner (X-Men: First Class).

Kormakur’s Everest, meanwhile, tells the tale “first made famous by Jon Krakauer’sInto Thin Air, his superb first-person account of being among the lucky ones to make it back down the mountain. This film will be sourced from various books and interviews with survivors.” With a planned November start, Kormakur’s Everest will likely reach the summit before Liman’s, which should be shoring up its cast in the coming months. [Update: Via Deadline, Cross Creek and Walden Media will back the picture. Casting details include “Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer, Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers, Jason Clarke as Rob Hall, and John Hawkes as Doug Hansen. Shooting starts January 13 in the Dolomites in Italy and will continue in Nepal and Iceland.”]